Device for drawing straps tight prior to being buckled



(No Model.)

B. S. ELLIS. DEVICE FOR DRAWING STRAPS TIGHT PRIOR TO BEING BUGKLED.

No. 599,142. Patented Feb. 15,1898.

IWHHIII Will III.

I! IN 7 WIN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. ELLIS, OF ENGLEWOO D, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR DRAWING STRAPS TIGHT PRIOR TO BEING BUCKLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,142, dated February 15', 1898.

Application filed June 1, 1897. Serial No. 638,86 8. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. ELLIs,a citizen of the United States, residing at Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for Drawing Straps Taut, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in devices for the drawing taut of straps prior to being buckled, and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and effective device of this description by means of which a strap may be so drawn by the utilization of leverage as to permit a person of comparatively small strength to buckle a strap tightly around a trunk or the like.

With these ends in View this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specificatiomin which Figure 1 represents a portion of a trunk having straps therearound, one of which is being operated upon by my improvement; and Fig. 2 an elevation of the device when not in use.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied I cast or otherwise form a fastener which is composed of a body A, having projecting therefrom a handle B, and from the lower edge thereof projects a knob O, which latter is adapted to engage suitable holes which are formed in a strap. This body also has an opening D formed therein, and from v the lower wall projects upward a knob E, the

latter likewise being adapted to enter the ordinary buckle-holes in the strap, and in practice this fastener is utilized after the manner of a second-class lever by the insertion of the knob O in the hole F of the strap G, and then after passing the free end of the strap through the buckle H this end is passed through the opening D, and the lug E engaged with one of the holes I, when by drawing upon the handle in the direction of the arrow marked adjacent thereto the strap will be drawn taut, and when the entire movement of the fastener has been utilized for thus drawing upon the strap the tongue of the buckle is inserted in the nearest hole I, after which the free end of the strap is disengaged from the knob E, said knob being reinserted in any other of these holes and the operation repeated, by which it will be seen that all of the slack in the strap may be taken up and the latter drawn tightly around the trunk or other object to be held.

It is well known that a person of comparatively small strength is unable to strap a trunk sufficiently tight to be of any service in the shipment thereof, and that it often requires the combined effort of two ormore persons to so strap a large trunk, whereas by the use of my improvement but little effort is necessary to bring about the desired result, as sufficient leverage is provided thereby for the exertion of an enormous strain upon the strap, and as this strain can be accomplished step by step, as already set forth, it will be seen that a strap of any length may be firmly secured around a trunk or other object of any size.

One of the advantages of my improvement is that it may be manufactured at exceedingly small cost, since it is made of a single piece and of such shape as it may be cast, requiringmo finishing or hand labor; but I do not wish to limit myself to casting my improvement, as it is obvious that it might be made of sheet metal or even wire.

It is to be noted that my improvement may be embellished with any suitable ornamentation or may be designed in any manner which the fancy of the manufacturer or user may elect.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is A strap-tightener stamped from a single piece of metal to produce a handle and body having an opening therein for the passage of a strap, a lug projecting into said opening to engage one end of the strap and a second lug projecting downward from the bottom of the body to engage the opposite end of the strap, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD s. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMSON, F. MATTNER. 

